As the U.S. coronavirus death toll sailed past 1,000, the governor of New York — the state with the worst outbreak so far — warned residents they’re “still on the way up the mountain.” The number of COVID-19 cases across the country is fast approaching 70,000, forcing leaders from city halls right up to the White House to grapple with how much to restrict Americans’ lives to curb the spread.
Doctors and epidemiologists are adamant that strict social distancing measures work, and while President Trump hopes to ease restrictions on businesses to start reviving the U.S. economy by Easter, other countries — even further down the road in their outbreaks — are considering extending their lockdowns.
As hospital ICUs and morgues began filling up in some U.S. cities, the Senate passed an unprecedented $2 trillion relief package to help American workers, businesses and the severely strained health care system survive the pandemic.
COVID-19 has killed more than 21,000 people worldwide and infected well over 472,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for detailed information on coronavirus treatment and prevention.
